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Former president Asif Ali Zardari called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at PM House. — Photo by Online

The meeting and its agenda may have been set before the latest civ-mil storm erupted and both sides tried their best on Wednesday to stick to the original script, but context is everything in politics so the only question that mattered after Asif Ali Zardari met Nawaz Sharif was, did the political show of unity mean the civil-military crisis was on its way to being defused or was the prime minister preparing for a showdown with his hand-picked army chief?

Raza Rabbani, the veteran PPP senator who has seen the ups and downs of civ-mil relations from up close, stuck to his publicly cautious line while speaking to Dawn: "It [the Nawaz-Zardari meeting] should not be construed as a get-together to send across a message. It should be seen as the democratic forces standing united to strengthen institutions. It should not be taken as against an institution or institutions."

But Rabbani's cautious remarks may have less to do with a democrat's spin and more to do with a better reading of the present crisis than most, namely that the point of no return had never really been reached.

Salman Masood, the Islamabad editor of The Nation, explained it thus: "Politicians huddling up when faced with aggressive posturing from the military is great for optics but it's really unclear if it is really effective. I don’t think the civil-military crisis has brought the democratic set-up to the brink yet."

According to Masood, not only had the dip in civil-military relations not reached the point of full-blown crisis, they were on the road to being mended now that Gen Raheel has extended, and Sharif has accepted, an invitation to the military graduation ceremony at Kakul.

PPP leaders, including Rabbani, however were keen to underline the benefits of the meeting whose agenda revolved around Sindh-centre fiscal relations, the post-18th Amendment devolution process, the Karachi operation and the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance.

"It was a positive message, not a negative one. That the democratic forces are continuing the work of strengthening the democratic dispensation," Rabbani said.

Yet, a fundamental issue has yet to be clarified: did the clash erupt because the army leadership is implacably opposed to the Musharraf trial or is the immediate fury over the overt politicisation of the trial or is it about broader policy differences, be it over certain prisoner releases in the TTP-government dialogue or in the foreign policy domain?

Senior PML-N leaders are unwilling to speak on the record about the roots of the differences between the government and the army leadership, but are privately adamant about two things: one, while the Musharraf trial may be allowed to proceed in a desultory manner, the prime minister is unwilling to scuttle it altogether; and two, the present crisis will be defused, with the only question being whether a sacrificial lamb, perhaps Khwaja Asif's additional portfolio as defence minister, will have to be offered to the army leadership to allow it an exit while preserving the support of the rank and file and the junior leadership.

But an individual close to the defence minister claimed that even the symbolic step of relinquishing the defence ministry would be difficult for Asif to accept, given its implications for the transition to democracy and his own personal standing within the government.

The government's dilemma is more openly summed up by opposition circles who have a greater freedom to speak on the record in the present circumstances than PML-N leaders.

"Sacrificial lambs do not augur well for the system," argued Rabbani. But he sounded a note of caution also: "Restraint by both sides is needed. The politicians also have to understand the sensitivities of the process we are passing through. In a transition [to democracy] the dangers are always there."

Journalist Masood was more forthright: "Much will depend on how Nawaz acts. Whether he placates the military by withdrawing Khawaja Asif or stands behind him will determine the course of civil-military relations. By the signs of it, Nawaz does not seem keen to embark on a path of confrontation."

Comments (29) Closed

The meeting of Nawaz Sharif with Zardari was not only show of unity but also for taking useful tips from the latter regarding wealth management in foreign countries.

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Munir Varraich

Apr 17, 2014 11:23am

Present circumstances require all political and military leadership to cooperate against the internal and external threats. AAZ and NS meeting followed by National Security Council meeting must be projected positively by the media. Sensationalism at this stage will be dangerous for the state.

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Zak

Apr 17, 2014 12:14pm

Nawaz is displaying his shortsighted vision and vindictiveness. An extremist Modi is coming into office, who has vowed to harm Pakistan. The military will be the front line. By these personal vendettas, Nawaz is putting the entire nation in jeapordy. He should stop playing dirty politics with the army, let Musharf go to see his mother, remove the khawaja from defense portfolio and show unified stand for India and the world to see.

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rashad

Apr 17, 2014 12:40pm

the only thing that the pakistani nation construes from this meeting is that they are trying to safegaurd their "baarrii system" (turn based system). As we can see not a single corruption case is being pursued against the PPP.

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Parvez

Apr 17, 2014 01:05pm

Pretty incisive ....... the problem I have with the press / media is that when reporting such matters the effect on the average man-on-the-street and his view is never considered........the impression one gets is he does not matter.......and may be he does not.
The present scenario looks like something out of a bad Punjabi movie where three dakoos are feuding among themselves, while the village folk look on.

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gerry d'cunha

Apr 17, 2014 01:08pm

you scratch my back, I scratch yours diplomacy being played in pakistan by these two front line parties to rule the country in the name of democracy and to handover responsibilities to their next generation. wake-up my people!!!!!

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Tariq Masud

Apr 17, 2014 01:25pm

If you confiscate the wealth of these two and their families, Pakistan can easily come out from the strangle hold of World bank, IMF and all such like institutions. But the tragedy is that we are told "they are our leaders and they want best for us"

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Sameer H.

Apr 17, 2014 02:29pm

Zardari advised him on the minimum, a serving 4 star General would take, to wet his beak and keep him in line for the time being.

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Akram

Apr 17, 2014 03:21pm

Love them or hate them, as chess players, the likes of Nawaz Sharif and Zardari have a thing or two they can teach the world...

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Tufan Agha

Apr 17, 2014 03:39pm

As media has become very open, so the duo has decided to join hands as they cannot steal alone

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Ajamal

Apr 17, 2014 03:48pm

@Last Word:
Hussain Nawaz is doing a good job for that matter. Perhaps, he can also do some work for AAZ. Father has totally forgotten $60m that he promised the nation from the Swiss account.

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Tariq, Lahore

Apr 17, 2014 04:48pm

NS and AAZ, both represent, the two faces of the same 'bent' coin.

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M. Emad

Apr 17, 2014 04:55pm

DEMOCRACY VS 'dignity'.

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khanm

Apr 17, 2014 05:29pm

@gerry d'cunha:
Most Pakistani leadership pay lip service to the idea of freedom/democracy, but can't handle real freedom/ real democracy.....

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khanm

Apr 17, 2014 05:33pm

@Last Word:
In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of. They have no remorse no resentment no nothing BEHISH JUST LIKE THIS ENTIRE NATION

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khanm

Apr 17, 2014 05:35pm

@Zak:
The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.

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khanm

Apr 17, 2014 05:38pm

@rashad:
The duty of the nation is to challenge the corruption. specially the youth...

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khanm

Apr 17, 2014 05:41pm

@Parvez:
Dear Pervez.... Whoever controls the media, controls the mind. and you know damn very well who controls the media..

@Tariq Masud:
My childhood memories include a time when the government confiscated my rights to work in governmental institute cos my domicile was not from interior Sind or from Panjab. Can we as a nation confiscate any thing from those corrupt politicians, i seriously doubt it...

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khanm

Apr 17, 2014 05:58pm

@Sameer H.:
It's easy. You draw a red line on the ground, right? Then you wait for a chicken to come along. When he arrives, he puts his beak right on the line and he's hypnotized!

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Just Someone

Apr 17, 2014 06:45pm

Whatever happens, we can't afford for the system to be derailed again.

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Umar Aftab

Apr 17, 2014 07:39pm

Musharraf is no Zia everyone needs to be clear on this. The assumption that mush has any admirers in the army rank and file is quite false. We need to refresh our memories that during Musharraf rule retired senior officers that even included generals protested in the streets when he sacked the judiciary. No other military dictator in Pakistan had the honor of his comrades protesting over his decisions. His ultra modern secular views also did not go well with the majority of the army which is predominantly conservative middle class.

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Syed Ahmed

Apr 17, 2014 08:06pm

Nawaz-Zardari meeting] should not be seen as the democratic forces standing united to strengthen institutions nor be taken as against an institution or institutions. CORRECT. It is a meeting between to top money launderers, how to save their skins and continue safely with their favorite business.

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Ahmed

Apr 17, 2014 10:12pm

Or these two working for a democratic rule? Well have them come out speak to people and press and answer questions. Will they ever answer any of the charges they face, sure they will never. Will our independent judicial system try their cases of all sorts of corruption, for sure never.
These two and their selected some are real leaches and source of corruption.

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Qalim

Apr 17, 2014 11:47pm

Should the military be placated? More alarming for the state of Pakistan, is the ovesensitivity of an institution and the perception that this 'pensioner' acting like an 'adolescent' child with narrow vision!

The other perception that the General Sharif has been embarrased by the civ, fails to consider that the General, his predecessor General and the 'boys' were actually put in this predicament by Mr Musharaff when he insisted upon returning to Pakistan despite counsel. Can't have your cake and continue eating it when many......hopefully the 'boys' understand this now after 66 plus years and let the system take its course vus a vis Musharaff. The civs do understand much more now with still much to understand but any Mush based NRO more likely to produce abominibally deterimental effects upon the State of Pakistan as it is today!

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Qalim

Apr 17, 2014 11:53pm

@M. Emad:
Whose 'dignity'? A few officers in uniform controlling fire power or that wretched lot of 180 million plus known as the Pakistani masses!

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Syed Ahmed

Apr 18, 2014 12:52am

@Ahmed: Brother you are 100% correct.

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Ganga Din

Apr 20, 2014 12:04am

There is no message here. Zardari was probably asked to calm down his son's comments and you will see that. I know how Pakistan works.